myers



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. MYERS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 419,278. Patented Jan. 14, 1890.

N. PETERS. Phclo-Lrlhngrupher, Wmhmgkm. D. c.

(No Model.)

P. MYERS, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. I

Patented Jan. 14,1890.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MYERS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE MERCURY TYPE IVRITING MACHINE COMPANY, (LIMITED) OF LONDON,ENGLAND.'

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,278, dated January 14,1890.

Application filed January 4, 1887. Serial No. 223,407. (No model.) Patented in England June 21, 1886, No. 8,198 in Austria- Hungary,1 lo.47,574 and No. 8,247; in France December 7, 1886, No. 180,125 in Belgium December 7, 1886, No. 75,515, and

in Germany December 7, 1886, No. 41,405.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MYERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York,

but temporarily residing at Liverpool, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Typel/Vriting Machines, (which invention has been patented to me in England, No. 8,198, June 21, 1886; Austria-Hungary,

to No. 17,574 and No. 8,247; France, No. 180,125,

December '7, 1886; Belgium, No. 75,515, December 7, 1886, and Germany, No. 41,405, December 7, 1886,) of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates chiefly to that class of typewriters in which the type are carried or actuated by levers arranged radially round a common center, and is designed with the object of producing a machine in which the operator will act or press directly upon the type-carrying lever without the intervention of any secondary or connecting lever, and also with the object of producing a strong, simple, efficient, and reliable machine of that 2 5 kind. It will be best described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the machine with parts removed; Fig. 2, plan of same; Fig. 3, sectional elevation of the frame c and paper-carriage on line 00 y; Fig. 4., side elevation of inking device, with the bracket for carrying same; Fig. 5, plan of the part represented in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, an end elevation of the paper-carrying roll, showing pa- 3 5 per-gripping devices; Fig. 7, enlarged detail of paper gripping device; Fig. 8, plan of paper-gripping device and roller; Fig. 9, an elevation of the bell at back of the paper-carrying roller, with pin for actuating the striking- 4o hammer.

A is a frame-work or base, preferably made of cast-iron, which carries the movable and working parts of the apparatus. It is circular, or approximately so, and has formed in its marginal rima number of piyot recesses 0r bearings B, wherein the pivots of the typecarrying levers C are supported. Each lever C carries a separate type, letter, figure, symbol, or other character to be printed.

The type-levers C are elbowed or curved, as shown, so that while the lower arms E extend down through the base-plate the typeoarrying end shall project up over so; as to swing down on the paper-carrying roller, hereinafter described. They are arranged radially in the base or frame A, and pivoted on a circular bar or wire D, or it may be on a number of pivots or pins, so that the typeend 0 of each shall, when pressed down, cover one common center, and are preferably pivoted at or near the lower end. Below the pivot and to the short arm E of each is attached any suitable springsuch as an india-rubber ring efor the purpose of raising the lever after it has been depressed. The spring is attached to a pin 6' or similar projection fitted to the frame A. F is a key or finger-plate carried by each type-lever, by

pressing on which with the finger the operator depresses the lever. acter carried by the lever maybe represented on the finger-plate; but I prefer to place the representation of the letters and characters nearer the ends of the levers, as shown, so as to lie closer together, as in that position they will be more easily seen by the operator, and should the operator strike a wrong key or be uncertain as to the one struck the letter can be read without raising the hand or finger from the key. The type is affixed to the end of the lever at c, and the letter or character may be cast orengraved thereon. It may be cast in india-rubber or type-metal, or formed in any other suitable way and aflixed to the end of the lever C.

In Fig. 1 two only of the type-levers C are shown in order to show more distinctly their position. I

G is a roller by which the paper to be writ ten or printed upon is carried. It is preferably made of cork or other stiff, yielding, or elastic substance, so that the constant striking upon it will not injure the type carried by the levers C. g is a rod or spindle through The letter or char- 7o 2 meme the center of the roll G, to which it is attached,

and forming at the ends pivots upon which the roller revolves. The bearings 71 in which the pivots g revolve, are carried by brackets I-I, one at either end of the roller G. The brackets H, in combination with the connectin g-plate h, form a carriage which carries the roller G and thepaper thereon, which carriage is fitted into a slideway 11', running from back to front of the base A. The carriage is free to move in this slideway, and to it, with the roller G, may be imparted a motion in either direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller. Below the roller-frame is placed a fiat steel spring I, carrying a pin 2', and in the under side of the carriage-plate h are drilled a number of holes '21, with which the pin 71 engages, holding the roller-carriage and the roller G in any desired position. By depressing the spring I the pin '6 is released from the hole 2? to allow the roller to be moved in either direction.

J is a cam or finger on spindle j, by which the spring I is depressed when the operator presses down the thumb-lever J. The distance between each of the, holes I is equal to the distance required between the lines of the writing or printing.

The roller Gismoved the distance between one hole and the next at the completion of every line. lVhen in operation, the roller G turns axially for each letter written and is moved longitudinally for each line. Graduations may be marked on the spring I or on the frame-plate h to indicate to the operator the number of the line from the top of the page at which the machine is writing. On the spindle at one end (preferably the front end) of the roller G is loosely placed a pawlcarrying device or bracket K. This bracket carries pawl k, which meshes with the teeth or circular rack K, attached to end of roller G.

L is a rod fixed to the bracket K and to a similar bracket at the other end of the rollercarrying frame, so that at any point along the length of the roller this rod may be operated upon to actuate the pawl k and turn the rollor G.

M is a lever somewhat similar in shape to the type-carrying levers C and pivoted with them to the base-frame A. At its upper or top end it is formed in the shape of a ring or hoop m and at its lower end m projects inward to engage with a pivoted lever N. This lever has a forked end N, which engages with the rod L, and through which the rod is free to move longitudinally, so that any motion of the lever N is felt on the rod L and pawl 7t: irrespective of the position of the roller G longitudinally. The depression of the lever M actuates the pivoted lever N and its forked end N, thus conveying motion to the pawl 7.: and turning the roller G about its axis a certain distance. The lever M is fitted with a key similar to those 011 the type-levers, and may thereby be depressed at will by the operator, and in addition it is depressed by each typedever C through the medium of ring at as the lever is pressed down to touch the paper. The type end of the lever passes through the ring on, the lever comes in contact with the edge of the ring, and the two are carried down together. By this motion at each stroke of the type-levers the paper-roll G is carried round by the pawl 7c the space of one letter. To space between the words, the lever M is depressed by the finger of the operator.

The dotted lines in Fig. 1 show the position of levers O and M when depressed. The spacing-lever M is returned to position of rest by-a spring in same manner as the typelevers C. If preferred, the pawl-carrying device may be actuated in the direction opposite to the direction in which the paper travelsthat is to say, retracted by the lever and be thrust forward to shift the roller by a spring, the pawl coming into action and the paper-carrier being moved during the return of the type-levers O or spacing-lever M to their position of rest.

0 is a small hand-wheel on the end of the spindle g of the roller G, by means of which the papcr-roller G may be turned into any position. It is preferably graduated or marked, so that any mark coming'opposite the index-pointer 0 will indicate the number or position in the line of the last letter written.

P is a warning-bell fixed to the spindle g and revolvin with it. The projecting pin or tappet p actuates the hammer P each time the bell revolves, and indicates when the end of the line is nearly reached. The bell may be shifted circumlerentially on spindle g. By altering the position of the bell on the spindle 9 it can be made to indicate the approach of the end of a line of any given length.

The sheet of paper is held in position on the roller by means of two eccentric clips Q The edge of the sheet of paper is slipped under the rod or holder Q, which is set eccentrically in the brackets q, fixed to the ends of the roller and clamped by it. The clip R, which is carried by the movable arms 0', is then brought over the other edge of the paper, which is secured thereby. A sheet of paper of larger or smaller size may thus be used on the same roller.

S is a plate or shield on which the projections 0 011 the levers 0 rest when the lovers have been depressed the required distance, so that the type may not be brought with too great force or pressure on the roller.

sis a ring or buffer, of india-rubbcr or elastic material, on top of S, against which the levers strike.

a is a rubber or other soft or elastic butter, againstwhich the projecting parts a of the levers C strike when returning to the normal position. These butters prevent noise and jar.

The ink is preferably carried on two small rollers T, mounted on spindles t, hinged or lever M, which, acting on the pawl and roller,

pivoted to a vertical stem or spindle of a button to, which is carried in a bearing on the end of a bracket V. By turning the button it on the top'of the spindle with the hand the.

rollers T are brought in contact successively with each of the letters. The springs i keep them up to the face of the letters. The bracket V is shown only in Figs. 4 and 5. It is held in position by the stud-pins V, on which the holes in the forks 1) near the ends of the bracket are fitted. The spring of the fork keeps it steady by frictional contact with the base-frame lugs holding the studpins. Instead of this device the ink may be carried on a band or ribbon coiled upon a reel or roller at one side of the paper-carrying roller and passed from it over one or more carrying or guide rollers to a second reehupon which it will be slowly wound a little at each stroke of the type-levers. As such inking ribbons are commonly arranged, it will pass in close proximity to the paper without actually touching it, the type forcing it against the paper, and will be wound onto the second reel by means of a pawl connected to the spacing-lever working intoteeth on the end of the reel.

The operation of the apparatus is very simple. The sheet of paper having been secured in position on the paper-carrying roller G, the type-lever O, carrying the particular letter or character required, is depressed until itreaches the guard s and the letter strikes the paper. The depressing of the lever C also presses down the spacingcarries the paper forward the space of one letter. Atthe end of each word the spacinglever M is depressed alone. When the end of the line is reached, the bell P rings. The roller G is then turned back by the handwheel O,the springldepressed, and the roller moved longitudinally until the pin 1' engages in the next hole. The paper is then in position to begin a fresh line, and so on.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the system of type-carrying elbow-levers pivoted in the circular marginal rim of the base and having the type on the long arms, which are convergent downward to the printing-point, and also having the rigid finger-plate on the back between the type and the pivot, of the feedlever also pivoted in the circle of the typelevers and having the ring subject to action of the type-carrying arms of the type-levers, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the paper-roller carriage arranged in the slideway of the base-plate and having the stop-sockets in its lower side, of the stop-spring and stop located in the carriage-way below the carriage, and the tripper and trip-lever arranged at the end of the carriage-way and with the free end of the stop-spring, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the paper-roller, of the eccentric grip-roller fixed in stationary arms of the roller, and the eccentric grip-roller fixed in arms that are movable about the axis of said'roller, substantially as described. 7 In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK MYERS. WVitnesses:

WM. P. THOMPSON, J. OWDEN OBRIEN. 

